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Then, just as we begin to be convinced that we are confronted by free, loosely
constructed equivalents for specific parts of the world, these surprising little
paintings shift gears yet again. The landscape image that we felt we were
on the verge of indentifying dissolves into a melting structure of strokes,
ribbons of line, and transparent washes. In fact, it’s the tension between
unbridled painterliness and the potent, albeit unstable and elusive sense of
the particular that keeps us looking at Testa’s watercolor “landscapes,” just
as the tension between his economical drawing and his convincing allusions
to real experience does in his illustrations. But while Testa’s towering
reputation as an illustrator attests to his ability to translate words into self-
sufficient, eloquent images, what sets his watercolor “landscapes” apart is
their power to stir our emotions, our accumulated associations, and our
memories without language. In his most recent series of moody, fascinating
works, Testa successfully bypasses words in favor of the essential elements of
painting itself, freed from reference and expressively deployed.
New York, August
2012